Apparatus for refining oil



12, 1921 5 Sheets-Sheet l w. J.' REILLY APPARATUS FOR REFINING OIL FiledNov,

March 1o, 19245.

@13 l Gramm,

Maizch 10. 1925.

. J. REILLY APPARATUS FOR REFINING OIL Filed Nov. l2, 1921 3Sheets-Sheet 2 um. x

Sw W March l0, 1925. 1,529,504

W. J. REILLY APPARATUS FOR REFINING OIL Filed Nov. l2, 1921 3Sheets-Sheet 5 l Patented Mar. 10, 1925.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM J'. REILLY, 0F DENVER, COSIIOIEQADO.y

APPARATUS FOR REFINING OIL.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM J. REILLY, a citizen of the United States,residing at the city and county of Denver and State of Colorado, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Apparatus for ReliningOil; andI do declare the following to be a full, clear, and exactdescription ot' the invention, such as will enable others skilled in theart to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being hadto the accompanying drawings, and to the characters of reference markedthereon, which form a part of this specification.

The object of this invention is to provide a method and an apparatus forthe fractionation and distillation o hydrocarbon or other oils by theapplication of external heat whereby distillation ca'n be carried outunder any desired degree of temperature and pressure. p

The pressure and temperatures to be employed are dependent upon thechemical and physical characteristics of the liquids under treatment andthe products of distillation desired. My apparatus has therefore been sodesigned that the requirement of any particular distillation can be metand carried out with a high degree of thermal efliciency and resultanteconomy as well as at a hi h rate of evaporation.

Iy device is also designed to give a high rate of heat absorption perunit of heating surface exposed to the products of combustion. Y

In order to more clearly describe my apparatus I shall refer to theaccompanying drawings in which- Fig. l is a transverse section ofmylinproved still taken on line 1--1 (Fig. 2).

Fig. 2 is a longitudinal section taken on line 2-2 (Fig. 1)

Fig. 3 is a partial longitudinal section taken on line 3-3 (Fig. 1). t

Figs. 4 and 5 are parted sections similar to that of Fig. 3 and showingslight modications.

Fig. 6 is a modification similarl to Fig. 3 in which the pump has beenomitted.

The same reference characters represent the same parts throughoutthevarious views. My improved still is enclosed in a housing of lire brickin the same manner as a steam boiler: this housing consists of a frontwall 1, sidewalls 2, back wall 3, arched roof 4:, and a furnace 5`provided. with the usual grate 6 and doors 7 As the housing and themeans employed for supporting the various members of my still are moreor less conventional I shall not describe them in detail but restrictthe description to the still' itself.

I provide three horizontal cylindrical drums 8, 9 and 10, two of which(8 and 9) are located at the same height, one near the front Wall andthe other near the rear wall, drum 10 being located near the ioor. Thelthree drumsare interconnected by means of banks of tubes in such amanner that the liquid under treatment can circulate from one drum tothe other andthus attain a rapid absorption and distribution of heat.Drums 10 and 8 are connected with a large number of tubes 11 which willbe referred to as the main bank. These tubes are arranged, preferably,in three or more layers and in staggered relation in order that all ofthe heated gases will be obliged to come in contact with some of thetubes. Directly back of the main bank of tubes 11 is a baille wall 12arranged with openings 13 distributed over its surface so as to cause auniform distribution of heated gases through the bank of tubes.

Drums 8 and 9 are connected by a single bank of tubes 14 on the top ofwhich is placed a baille wall 15.

Drums 9 and 10 are connected by a single bank of tubes 17 which areprotected from contact with the heated gases by means of a wall 18.

A gas outlet flue 19 extends across the in terior space of the stillfrom side wall to side wall, and is provided along its length with aplurality of openings 20 which are graduated in area so that there willbe a uniform suction pressure across the still. The flue being, ofcourse, connected with the smoke stack.

The lower drum 10 is provlded with a longitudinal downwardly projectingbaille 21 whose function it is to cause the liquid to flow downwardlyand across the drum near its bottom instead of directly across the tcpof the drum as would otherwise be thecase. A pipe 22 extends the wholelength of drum 10 directly below the openings into the front tubes ofthe kmain tube bank: this pipe has 4a relatively small opening locatedopposite each front tube end. The function of'pipe 22 is to conveysteam, gas' or other fluid and to mix ,tlie same with the fluid undertreatment vso as to increase the rate of circulation.

It will be noted that the arrangement described above results in adevice having a voluntary and continuous circulation of iquid. The liquiln e main tube bank 11 being exposed o the hot gases near to the furnacebecom very hotand flow upwardly into drum 8. e liquid in the verticaltubes 17 being protected from the heat by means of a baille wall 18 arethe coolest and How downwardly into drum 10, in the meantime the liquidlevels in drums 8 and 9 are maintained substantially equal by means oftubes 14.

Located above the oil drums and at right angles theretov is a number ofvaporizing drums 23, which are connected to drums 8 and 9 by pipes 24and 25 respectively. Drums 2.3 are provided interiorly 'with a pluralityof horizontally inclined vaporlzing pans 26, the purpose of which willhereinafter appear.

Located within each of 'drums 23 and near the forward end thereof is apump 27 driven by a motor 28 the purpose of which is to raise liquidfrom drum 8 to the upper end of the uppermost vaporizing pan 26. The

liquid raised by pump 27 will then flow from l one pan to the otheruntil it is finally discharged on the bottom of drum 23 and passesdownwardly into 'drum 9 through pipe 25 where it mixeswith the otherliquid and reenters the circulation. In iiowing over the vaporizing pansthe liquid vaporizes readily and the released vapors -are carried offthrough pipe 29 and passed through a condenser where the pressure underwhich condensation takes place is controlled by controlling the rate ofexit from the vapor "drum into said condenser, the pressure inthecon'denser being, however., always less thanthat1l in the vapor drum.I. v

In Fig. 4 I have shown a slight modification from that shown in Fig. 3.Instead o f having a pump inside driven by a motor on the o-utside ofthe drum, I have shown the pump and engine as one combined structure 29.The engine being operated by steam supplied through pipe 30 andexhausted through pipe 3 In Fig. 5 I have shown another modification inwhich the pump 32 and engine 33 are both placed outside Iof the vapordrum 23. The pipe 24 being, of course, modified so as to conform tothechanged location of the pump.

The drums are supported in a suitable way from I-beams 35, drums 8 and 9being suspended from beams 34 bv means of straps 36 and drums 23beingsimilarly suspended by straps 37s Drums 23 are each provided with asafety valve 38 which is connected to a pipe 39 leading out to asuitable place of exhaust. Each drum is also provided with a pressuregauge 40 and thermometer 41 by means of which which he is governed incontrolling the distillation.

Drum 8 is provided with a gauge 42 for indicating the level of the oil.

`Drum 9 has connected thereto a supply pipe 43 through which liquid tobe treated enters and 'drum 10 is provided with a pipe 44 connected tothe bottom thereof and through which the `still is emptied.

From the above it is seen that I have invented a still in which a largeamount of oil can be subjected to treatment; in which .a rapid,voluntary circulation of oil takes place, resulting in a rapid transferof heat and the prevention of unequal and excessive heating of the metalparts o-f the still. i

The operation of my device is as follows:

The oil to be treated is supplied to drums 8, 9 and 10 in suficientquantity to fill drums 8 and 9 to a height `somewhat above the level ofpipes 14, the gases from furnace 5 then pass through the main tube bank11; through the openings 13 in baffle wall 12 and into the transversechamber.

Circulation of the liquid under treatment then commences, the heated oilpassing upwardly through tubes 1l into drum 8, thence through tubes 14into drum 9 and downwardly through tubes 17 into drum 10 from whenceitagain enters tubes 11 and begin a new cycle.

When the pressure and temperature has reached the proper values, pump 27is started and liquid is lifted from drum 8 to the upper end of theuppermost'vaporizing pan 26 from whence it flows from one pan to anotheruntil it linallv reaches the bottom of drum 23 an'd enters drum 9through pipe 25 where it mixes with the remainder of the oil undertreatment.

The action of the pump in removing a portion of the oil from drum 8 hasa tendl denser has a pipe 49foonnected thereto for the purpose ofconducting away the uncondensed vapors; this pipe is controlled by valve48.

The pressure under which condensation through valve 46. The exit pipe ofthe conj ,takes place is controlledby the manipulation of valve 45`which controls,the exit of vapors from thev vaporizing drums, and va ve46 which controls the rate of discharge of the condensed liquid from thecondenser.

In Figs. 3, 4 and 5. I have shown an arrangement for raising the liquidfrom drum 8 to the end of the uppermost pan 26, which comprises a pump.I have, however, found that a pump is not essential at all times and inFig. 6 I have shown a modification in which the pump has been omittedand pipe 24 extended to the top of the uppermost pan 26. When myapparatus is in operation the oil vin pipes 11 becomes intensely heatedand partially vaporized. This vapor mixes with the oil and reduces itsspecific gravity to such an extent that the column of oil in pipes 17and tank 9, which is free from vapor, will be able to raise the frothy*oil in pipes 11 and cylinder 8 to the top of the uppermost pan 26. Inorder to dispense with the pump and raise the oil, by means of whichdepends upon the difference in the specific gravities in pipes 17 and11, it is necessary to so pro-portion the combined areas of pipes 14that the liquid as it enters drum 8 will not be able to return to drum 9as fast as it enters drum 8. The

excess over the capacity of pipes 14 will then be force'd to pass upwardthrough pipe 24 and Itake part in the major circulation.

I want to emphasize at this point the fact that I attain a doublecirculation in my still. A portion of oil will circulate in pipes 11 todrum 8, through pipes 14 to drum 9, thence through pipes 17 to drum 10,from which it enters pipes 11 at the beginning of a new cycle; this Icall the minor circulatory cycle.

A portion of the oil which enters drum 8 passes up through pipe 24 andis deposited on the upper end of the uppermost one of pans 26, andfinally enters drum 9 through pipe 25; this I term the major cycle.

' My still as described above comprises'a figure eight arrangement, inwhich there are two paths in parallel for the oil that enters drum 8. Bythis means a portion always passes through the major circulation cyclewhere it is subjected to intense evaporation, and re-enters thecirculation at drum 9 where it mixes with the balance of the oil.

Tubes l1 are arranged at an angle of forty-five (45) degrees for thepurpose of obtaining the most eiicient operation. With the tubesarranged at this angle, the gases will impinge on them at substantiallyright angles, and thus brush 0E any cooled gases that would otherwiseadhere thereto. The oil will also flow at a more satisfactory speedthrough tubes inclined at 45 degrees, than it will in horizontal orvertical ones.

It is also my object to space the fire on the gratesat such a distancefrom the pipes 11 that little or no radiant heat will strike them, as bydoing so I will get a more uniform dlstributionfof heat on the pipes 11.

IjIav'mg described my invention, what I clalm 1s:

1. A still for the fractionation of organic oils comprising a furnace,an oil vcontaining device consisting of three oil drums connected bytube banks to form a triangle with its apex at the bottom, said furnacehaving a pasageway leading therefrom, one tube bank being locatedtowards the frontpof the furnace and in the passageway from the fur.nace, another of the said tube banks being located to therear of thefurnace and protected by means of a. baffle wall located between t-hetubes and the furnace, a vaporizing drum located above the upper two oildrums aforesaid and'having each end connected to separate ones of theoil drums, horizontally inclinedl vaporizing surfaces in said vaporizingdrum, means for elevating heated oil from one of the oil drums to theupper part of the uppermost vaporizing surface, means to return theunvaporized part of said oil to the other oil drum and meansl forconducting the liberated vapors from said vaporizing drum.

2. A still for the fractionation of organic oils comprising incombination a furnace, cy-

lindrical o-il drums, a tube oil heater composed of three sets of tubebanks arranged in the form of a triangle and having their ends connectedto said cylindrical oil drums, the base of said triangle being on topand substantially horizontal, a vapor drum above said base said drumhaving means for connec'ting one end to one of said oil drums, the otherend of said vapor drum being provided with a pump for elevating oil fromone of said oil drums to the vapor drum, a plurality of horizontallyinclined vaporizing surfaces extending lengthwise of said vapor drum,means connected to said pump for conducting heated oil to the upper partof the uppermost vaporizing surface, means for conducting the vaporsaway from said drum to a condenser and means for vcontrolling thepressure at which condensation takes place.

3. In a still for fractionation of hydrocarbon and other organic oils,means for heating the oil to any desi-red temperature, a vaporizing drumlocated above the heating means and having one end connected thereto bymeans of a pipe, said drum being provided in its interior with aplurality of oppositely'and horizontally inclined vaporizing pans soarranged with respect to each other that the lower portion of eachisdirectly above the higher portion of the pan directly beneath, wherebyany liquid deposited on the upper portion of the uppermost pan will flowfrom one pan to the other until itis finally Ldeposited on the bottom ofthe vapor drum, and means for transferring oil from the heating means tothe upper portion of the uppermost pan.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature.

WILLIAM J. REILLY.

